Bicycle pedal

ABSTRACT

A bicycle pedal includes a pedal shaft, a pedal body, first and second clamping members and a first biasing member. The pedal body is rotatably mounted on the pedal shaft. The first clamping member has a first cleat engagement surface and is pivotally coupled to one end, while the second clamping member has a second cleat engagement surface and is fixedly coupled to the other end. The second clamping member is configured to form an unobstructed longitudinal passageway. Preferably, the second clamping member includes two outer attachment points and an inner attachment point. Preferably, an adjustment member is arranged between the first clamping member and a biasing member to adjust tension of the biasing member on the first clamping member. The adjustment member has a head arranged in a hole of the first clamping member, an enlarged section and an adjustment plate adjustably mounted on the adjustment member.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/750,018,filed Dec. 29, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,529.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to a bicycle pedal. More specifically,the present invention relates to a clipless or step-in bicycle pedalwith a front clamping member having an enlarged unobstructed passagewayto allow mud to freely pass therethrough.

2. Background Information

Bicycling is becoming an increasingly popular form of recreation as wellas a means of transportation. Moreover, bicycling has become a verypopular competitive sport. Whether the bicycle is used for recreation,transportation or competition, the bicycle industry is constantlyimproving their components. One particular component of the bicycle,which has been extensively redesigned over the past years, is thebicycle pedal.

In recent years, bicycle pedals have been designed for specific purposessuch as for pleasure, off road biking, road racing, etc. One particulartype of bicycle pedal, which is gaining more popularity, is the step-inor clipless pedal, which releasably engages a cleat secured to the soleof a cyclist's shoe. The clipless pedal has a pedal spindle that can bemounted on the crank of a bicycle, a pedal body that is rotatablysupported on this pedal spindle, and a cleat engagement mechanism. In anoff road bicycle pedal the cleat engagement mechanism front and rearcleat clamping members that are fixed on both sides of the pedal bodyfor engaging front and rear portions of a cleat. Road racing pedalstypically only has a cleat engagement mechanism on one side of the pedalbody. In either case, in this type of bicycle pedal, the rider stepsonto the pedal and the cleat engagement mechanism automatically grips onto the cleat secured to the bottom of the cyclist's shoe.

More specifically, when attaching the cyclist's shoe to the step-inpedal via the cleat, the cyclist moves the shoe obliquely downwardly andforwardly relative to the pedal body such that the front end of thecleat engages a front hook or clamping member of the pedal body. Oncethe front end of the cleat is engaged with the front hook of the pedalbody, the cyclist places the rear end of the cleat in contact with aguide portion of the rear hook or clamping member of the pedal body. Inthis position, the cyclist presses the shoe downwardly against the pedalto cause the rear hook or clamping member to initially pivot rearwardlyagainst the force of a spring to move the rear hook or clamping memberto a cleat releasing position. The rear end of the cleat then enters aposition opposite a back face of the rear hook or clamping member. Then,the rear hook or clamping member returns under the force of a biasingmember or spring so that the rear hook or clamping member engages therear end of the cleat. This engagement fixes the cyclist's shoe to thepedal via the cleat.

When releasing the shoe from the pedal, the cyclist will typically turnthe shoe about an axis perpendicular or approximately perpendicular tothe tread of the pedal, using the front end of the cleat as a pivotingpoint. As a result of this pivoting action, the rear hook or clampingmember is pivoted rearwardly against the force of the spring to a cleatreleasing position to release the shoe.

When step-in pedals are used for road type bikes, the pedal is typicallyonly provided with a single clamping assembly such that the cyclist'sshoe can only be coupled to one of the two sides of the pedal. Off roador mountain type bikes, on the other hand, usually have a pair ofclamping assemblies such that the cyclist's shoe can be clamped toeither side of the pedal. In either case, it is desirable to design thepedal to be as compact and lightweight as possible.

One problem with most clipless pedals is that they are quite small andcan have several moving parts. As a result of these types of pedaldesigns, the moving parts often can become clogged with dirt or mud inwet riding conditions. Dirt or mud can effect the release of the cleatfrom the clipless pedal, or affect insertion of the cleat into theclamping members of the clipless pedal. This can especially be a problemif the dirt or mud dries within the moving parts of the clipless pedal.This is usually more of a problem for off-road type bicycle riding.Additionally, in recent years, down hill races, dual slalom races,cross-country races and other such off-road races for mountain bikes andBMX (bicycle motor-cross) have been widely staged. In any of theseoff-road type races, unlike in road racing, the riders traverse anunpaved track or course. Furthermore, with this type of off-road racing,the foot must be repeatedly taken off the pedal during cornering andreplaced on the pedal after the corner has been exited. Similarly, inrecreational off-road riding, the cyclist's shoes must often berepeatedly removed and reattached to the bicycle pedals depending on theriding situation. Unfortunately, since off-road riding is performed onunpaved roads, mud clings to the pedals and tends to clog the cleatclamping members. Once the cleat clamping members become clogged withmud, the cleat cannot be engaged in the cleat clamping members and theshoe cannot be attached to the pedal. Moreover, the mud often clogs thebiasing mechanism such that the clamping members may not operateproperly.

Additionally, many clipless or step-in type bicycle pedals have atension adjusting mechanism to adjust the biasing force of biasingmembers of at least one clamping member. Often, these tension adjustingmechanisms include several small parts or pieces. Sometimes it isdesirable to have an extremely large or extremely small biasing forceapplied to at least one of the clamping members for certain ridingconditions. However, when tightening or loosening the tension adjustingmechanism of these prior clipless or step-in type bicycle pedals, theparts can become completely detached from other parts of the tensionadjusting mechanism and/or the bicycle pedal itself. It can be verydifficult to reattach the small parts of the tension adjusting mechanismof these bicycle pedals. Moreover, it is possible that some of the smallparts can be lost if parts of the tension adjusting mechanism aredetached from the bicycle pedal.

In view of the above, there exists a need for a bicycle pedal whichovercomes the above mentioned problems in the prior art. Morespecifically, in view of the above, it is apparent that there exists aneed for a clipless bicycle pedal which limits or prevents dirt, mud, orthe like from contaminating the adjustment mechanism and/or biasingmember. Additionally, in view of the above, it is apparent that thereexists a need for a clipless bicycle pedal which includes a tensionadjusting mechanism which limits removal of small parts of the tensionadjusting mechanism from the bicycle pedal. This invention addressesthese needs in the prior art as well as other needs, which will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle pedal, whichlimits or prevents dirt, mud, or the like, from contaminating theadjustment mechanism and/or the biasing mechanism.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle pedalwith an enlarged unobstructed longitudinal passageway arranged betweenone of the clamping members and the hub body that allows dirt, mud, orthe like, to be extracted from the bicycle pedal body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle pedalthat is strong, yet relatively lightweight.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a bicyclepedal that is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture andassemble.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a bicyclepedal with a tension adjusting mechanism, which is not easily removedfrom the bicycle pedal.

The foregoing objects can basically be attained by providing a bicyclepedal for attaching a shoe thereto via a cleat, comprising a pedalshaft, a pedal body, a first clamping member, a first biasing member anda second clamping member. The pedal shaft has a first end adapted to becoupled to a bicycle crank and a second end with a center axis extendingbetween the first and second ends. The pedal body is rotatably coupledto the second end of the pedal shaft. The pedal body has a first end anda second end with inner and outer longitudinal sides extending betweenthe first and second ends. The pedal body has a longitudinal planeextending between the first and second ends and passing through thecenter axis of the pedal shaft. The first clamping member is pivotallycoupled to the first end of the pedal body between a clamping positionand a release position. The first clamping member has a first cleatengagement surface. The first biasing member is coupled between thepedal body and the first clamping member. The second clamping member iscoupled to the second end of the pedal body. The second clamping memberhas a second cleat engagement surface arranged between the inner andouter longitudinal sides of the pedal body and facing the longitudinalplane of the pedal body. The second clamping member is configured toform an unobstructed longitudinal passageway. The unobstructedlongitudinal passageway has a height at least substantially equal to thedistance between the second clamping member and the second end of thepedal body, and a width at least as large as a width of the second cleatengagement surface.

The foregoing objects can also basically be attained by providing abicycle pedal for attaching a shoe thereto via a cleat, comprising apedal shaft, a pedal body, a first clamping member, a first biasingmember, and a second clamping member. The pedal shaft has a first endadapted to be coupled to a bicycle crank and a second end with a centeraxis extending between the first and second ends. The pedal body isrotatably coupled to the second end of the pedal shaft. The pedal bodyhas a first end with first inner and outer flanges and a second end withsecond inner and outer flanges to form inner and outer longitudinalsides extending between the first and second ends. The pedal body has alongitudinal plane extending between the first and second ends andpassing through the center axis of the pedal shaft. The first clampingmember is pivotally coupled to the first end of the pedal body between aclamping position and a release position. The first clamping member hasa first cleat engagement surface. The first biasing member is coupledbetween the pedal body and the first clamping member. The secondclamping member is fixedly coupled to the second end of the pedal body.The second clamping member has an inner attachment point coupled to thesecond inner flange, an outer attachment point coupled to the secondouter flange, an additional attachment point coupled to the first outerflange and a second cleat engagement surface. The second cleatengagement surface is arranged between the inner and outer longitudinalsides of the pedal body and faces the longitudinal plane. The secondclamping member is configured to form an unobstructed longitudinalpassageway. The unobstructed longitudinal passageway has a height atleast substantially equal to the distance between the second clampingmember and the second end of the pedal body and a width at least aslarge as a width of the second cleat engagement surface.

The foregoing objects can also basically be attained by providing abicycle pedal for attaching a shoe thereto via a cleat, comprising apedal shaft, a pedal body, a first clamping member, a first biasingmember, an adjustment member, and a second clamping member. The pedalshaft has a first end adapted to be coupled to a bicycle crank and asecond end. The pedal body is rotatably coupled to the second end of thepedal shaft. The pedal body has a first end and a second end with alongitudinal axis extending between the first and second ends. The firstclamping member is pivotally coupled to the first end of the pedal bodybetween a clamping position and a release position. The first clampingmember has a first clamping portion with a first cleat engagementsurface and an adjustment portion with a hole formed therein. The firstbiasing member is coupled between the pedal body and the first clampingmember. The adjustment member is arranged between the first clampingmember and the biasing member. The adjustment member has a head arrangedin the hole of the adjustment portion, an enlarged section arranged on abiasing member side of the adjustment portion, and an adjustment plateadjustably mounted on the adjustment member to adjust tension of thebiasing member on the first clamping member. The second clamping memberis coupled to the second end of the pedal body. The second clampingmember has a second cleat engagement surface.

These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with theannexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of thisoriginal disclosure:

FIG. 1 is an outside elevational view of a bicycle shoe attached to aleft bicycle clipless pedal coupled to a cleat of the bicycle shoe inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an outside elevational view of the left bicycle pedalillustrated in FIG. 1 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is an inside elevational view of the left bicycle pedalillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 in accordance with the preferred embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the left bicycle pedal illustrated in FIGS.1-3 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the bicycle pedalillustrated in FIGS. 1-4 as seen along section line 5—5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the front clamping member of the leftbicycle pedal illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, with a cleat coupled thereto andthe contact portions being hatched for purposes of illustration of thepreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged top plan view of the pedal body for the leftbicycle pedal illustrated in FIGS. 1-5;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the pedal body illustrated in FIG. 7as viewed along section line 8—8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the pedal body illustrated in FIGS.7 and 8 as seen along section line 9—9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the front clamping member for the bicyclepedal illustrated in FIGS. 1-5;

FIG. 11 is a partial, inside elevational view of the front clampingmember illustrated in FIG. 10 as viewed along arrow V₁;

FIG. 12 is a partial, rear side elevational view of the front clampingmember illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11 as viewed along arrow V₂;

FIG. 13 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the front clamping memberillustrated in FIGS. 10-12 as viewed along section line 13—13 of FIG.10;

FIG. 14 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the front clamping memberillustrated in FIGS. 10-13 as viewed along section line 14—14 of FIG.10;

FIG. 15 is a top plan view of the rear clamping member of the leftbicycle pedal illustrated in FIGS. 1-5;

FIG. 16 is a rear end elevational view of the rear clamping memberillustrated in FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is an angled elevational view of the rear clamping memberillustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16 as viewed along the axis of theadjustment hole formed in the rear clamping member;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the rear clamping memberillustrated in FIGS. 15-17 as viewed along section line 18—18 of FIG.17;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged, partial elevational view of the adjustment holeand indexing surface of the adjustment portion of the rear clampingmember illustrated in FIGS. 15-18 as viewed along arrow V₃;

FIG. 20 is a partial, cross-sectional view of a portion of one of theindexing recesses formed around the adjustment hole illustrated in FIG.19 as seen along section line 20—20 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged side elevational view of an adjustment member ofthe left bicycle pedal illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, with a portion brokenaway to show a hexagonal bore;

FIG. 22 is an end elevational view of the adjustment member illustratedin FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a partial, cross-sectional view of one of the indexingprojections of the adjustment member illustrated in FIGS. 21 and 22 asviewed along section line 23—23 of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is an enlarged, side elevational view of an adjustment plate ofthe adjustment mechanism for the left bicycle pedal illustrated in FIGS.1-5;

FIG. 25 is an end elevational view of the adjustment plate illustratedin FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is an enlarged side elevational view of one of the torsionsprings of one of the biasing members for the left bicycle pedalillustrated in FIGS. 1-5;

FIG. 27 is a side elevational view of the torsion spring illustrated inFIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged, top plan view of a bicycle cleat for the leftbicycle pedal illustrated in FIGS. 1-5;

FIG. 29 is a bottom plan view of the bicycle cleat illustrated in FIG.28;

FIG. 30 is a side elevational view of the bicycle cleat illustrated inFIGS. 28 and 29; and

FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view of the bicycle cleat illustrated inFIGS. 28-30 as seen along section line 31—31 of FIG. 28.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4, a bicycle pedal 10 is illustrated inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Bicyclepedal 10 is a clipless or step-in pedal that can be used with a bicycleshoe 12 with a cleat 14 coupled thereto. Bicycle pedal 10 is especiallydesigned for use with off-road bicycles as opposed to use with a roadbicycle. Of course, bicycle pedal 10 can be used on a road bicycle orany type of bicycle if needed and/or desired. As seen in FIG. 1, bicyclepedal 10 is fixedly coupled to bicycle crank arm 16 of a bicycle forrotation therewith, while cleat 14 is fixedly coupled to the bottom ofthe sole 18 of shoe 12.

Bicycle pedal 10, illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, is a left side pedal. Ofcourse, the same pedals are provided on the right and left sides of thebicycle, except that the right side pedal is a mirror image of the leftside pedal 10. Accordingly, the right side pedal will not be discussedor illustrated in detail herein.

As seen in FIGS. 3-5, bicycle pedal 10 basically includes a pedal shaftor spindle 20 adapted to be coupled to crank arm 16 and a pedal body 22rotatably coupled to spindle 20 for supporting a cyclist's foot. Pedalbody 22 basically includes a pair of front clamping members 24 and apair of rear clamping members 26. Each rear clamping member 26 ispivotally coupled to pedal body 22 by a pivot pin 28, a biasing member30 and a tension adjusting mechanism 32 as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Eachfront clamping member 24 is fixedly (rigidly) coupled to pedal body 22by a plurality (three) of attachment bolts 34 as seen in FIG. 4.Clamping members 24 and 26 are arranged such that one of the frontclamping members 24 and one of the rear clamping members 26 are arrangedat each end of pedal body 22 and on opposite sides from each other.Thus, each side of the pedal body 22 has a front cleat engagementmechanism on one end of pedal body 22 and a rear cleat engagementmechanism on the opposite end of pedal body 22. This arrangement allowsthe cyclist's cleat to be engaged with either side of pedal 10.

Cleat 14 is designed to releasably couple sole 18 of shoe 12 to bicyclepedal 10 using one of the front clamping members 24 and one of the rearclamping members 26 at the same time. This type of pedal is often calleda step-in or clipless pedal. Specifically, cleat 14 is engaged withpedal 10 by pressing cleat 14 into pedal 10 with a forward and downwardmotion. This releasably locks cleat 14 to pedal 10 via one of the setsof clamping members 24 and 26. Cleat 14 can be released from pedal 10 bytwisting the heel of the shoe to the outside of pedal 10, as discussedbelow in more detail.

Referring now to FIG. 5, pedal shaft 20 is preferably a multi-stepspindle having numerous stepped portions. Pedal shaft 20 is received ina stepped bore 35 formed in pedal body 22. Pedal shaft 20 has a firstend 36 with threads formed thereon for threadedly coupling pedal 10 tocrank 16 in a conventional manner. Pedal shaft 20 has a second end 38that rotatably supports pedal body 22 in a conventional manner. Pedalbody 22 can freely rotate about the center longitudinal axis A of pedalshaft 20. Since pedal shaft 20 is relatively conventional and itsspecific construction is not critical to the present invention, theconstruction of pedal shaft 20 will not be discussed or illustrated indetail herein.

Referring to FIGS. 7-9, pedal body 22 has a center tubular portion 40, apair of first end flanges 41 a and 41 b, and a pair of second endflanges 42 a and 42 b. Tubular portion 40 rotatably receives pedal shaft20 therein for rotation about center longitudinal axis A. The first endflanges 41 a and 41 b form a first end of pedal body 22, while thesecond end flanges 42 a and 42 b form a second end of pedal body 22. Thefirst and second ends 41 a, 41 b and 42 a, 42 b are arranged on oppositeends of center tubular portion 40. The flanges 41 a and 42 a with aninner part of tubular portion 40 form an inner longitudinal side 44,while the flanges 41 b and 42 b with an outer part of tubular portion 40form an outer longitudinal side 46. Pedal body 22 is preferably made ofa lightweight metallic material, such as aluminum alloy. In particular,pedal body 22 is an H-shaped member. Depending on the orientation ofpedal body 20, one of the ends of pedal body 22 is considered a front orfirst end, while the other end is considered a second or rear end. Oneof the front clamping members 24 is fixedly coupled to flanges 41 a, 41b and 42 b by fasteners 34, while the other front clamping member 24 isfixedly coupled to flanges 42 a, 42 b and 41 b via fasteners 34. Morespecifically, front clamping members 24 are coupled to opposite ends ofpedal body 22 in substantially the same orientation as each other, buton opposite sides of pedal body 22. Rear clamping members 26 arepivotally coupled between longitudinal sides 44 and 46 of each end ofpedal body 22. More specifically, one of the rear clamping members 26 ispivotally coupled to flanges 41 a and 41 b of pedal body 22 via one ofthe pivot pins 28, while the other clamping member 26 is pivotallycoupled to flanges 42 a and 42 b of pedal body 22 via the other pivotpin 28.

Inner and outer side portions 44 and 46 extend forward and backward fromcenter tubular portion 40, and are located on opposite sides of clampingmembers 26. Side portion 44 is an inner side portion, while side portion46 is an outer side portion. Threaded through holes 48 are formed inflanges 41 a and 42 a of inner side portion 44 for threadedly securingpivot pins 28 therein. Blind bores 50 are formed in flanges 41 b and 42b of outer side portion 46 for receiving the ends of pivot pins 28therein. Biasing members 30 and rear clamping members 26 are mounted onpivot pins 28 such that clamping members 26 are movable between aclamping position and a release position. Biasing members 30 engageclamping members 26 such that clamping members 26 are normally biasedtoward the clamping position.

As seen in FIGS. 4 and 7, pedal body 22 has a center longitudinal axis Bextending between the front and rear ends. Center longitudinal axis B issubstantially parallel to inner and outer side portions 44 and 46, andis substantially perpendicular to center longitudinal axis A of pedalshaft 20. Preferably, a longitudinal plane P₁ passing through bothcenter longitudinal axis A and center longitudinal axis B has a cleatreceiving area formed on each side thereof. In other words, each cleatreceiving area is formed by one of the front clamping members 24 and oneof the rear clamping members 26 arranged on one side of the longitudinalplane P₁ of pedal body 22.

Clamping members 24 and 26 selectively engage cleat 14 of bicycle shoe12 to attach the sole of bicycle shoe 12 to pedal 10. Clamping members24 are preferably fixedly coupled to opposite ends of pedal body 22,while clamping members 26 are preferably pivotally coupled to oppositeends of pedal body 22 by pivot pins 28.

As mentioned above, each front clamping member 24 is preferably fixedlycoupled to pedal body 22 by a plurality (three) of attachment bolts 34.More specifically, pedal body 22 preferably has a pair of threaded blindbores 52 formed in inner side portion 44 and a pair of threaded throughbores 54 formed in outer side portion 46. Blind bores 52 extendsubstantially in a perpendicular direction to the longitudinal plane P₁of pedal body 22, but in opposite directions from each other. In otherwords, threaded blind bores 52 have their axes substantially parallel.Through bores 54 have their axes substantially parallel to each otherand to blind bores 52. Both threaded blind bores 52 and threaded throughbores 54 are designed to receive attachment bolts 34 therein. Morespecifically, each side of the longitudinal plane P₁ of pedal body 22 isdesigned to have one of the front clamping members 24 fixedly coupledthereto by three attachment bolts 34. Thus, threaded through bores 54each have two attachment bolts 34 received therein from opposite sidesof pedal body 22 to couple both clamping members 24 to pedal body 22.The open ends of bores 52 and 54 are countersunk to form annularrecesses 55 around bores 52 and 54. These annular recesses 55 receive aportion of the front clamping members 24, as explained below.

Referring to FIGS. 10-14, front clamping members 24 will now bediscussed in more detail. Each clamping member 24 is preferably aplate-shaped member formed of rigid metallic material, such as steel.Each clamping member 24 basically includes a cleat engagement portion60, an inner attachment point 62, a first outer attachment point 64 anda second outer attachment point 66. The inner attachment point 62 andthe first outer attachment point 64 are arranged on opposite sides ofcleat engagement portion 60, and fixedly coupled to longitudinal sides44 and 46 of pedal body 22 at each of the flanges 41 a, 41 b, 42 a and42 b.

Each cleat engagement portion 60 has a cleat engagement surface 61facing the longitudinal plane P₁ of pedal body 22. Each cleat engagementsurface 61 is spaced from opposite sides of the longitudinal plane P₁ ofpedal body 22 and substantially parallel to the longitudinal plane P₁ ofpedal body 22 to engage a portion of cleat 14. First and second outerattachment points 64 and 66 are configured to be aligned with outerthreaded through bores 54. Thus, outer attachment points 64 and 66 arearranged on opposite sides of the center longitudinal axis A of pedalshaft 20. Each of the attachment points 62, 64 and 66 has a through bore62 a, 64 a or 66 a, respectively, extending therethrough to receive oneof the attachment bolts 34. Moreover, each attachment point 62, 64 and66 includes a projecting portion 62 b, 64 b or 66 b, respectively,configured to be received in one of the recesses 55 surrounding blindbores 52 or threaded bores 54.

As seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, inner attachment point 62 preferablyincludes a flange 63 extending longitudinally therefrom. Flange 63 hasan upper surface or inner cleat contact surface 63 a facingsubstantially in the opposite direction of cleat engagement surface 61.Cleat contact surface 63 a is preferably spaced toward the longitudinalplane P₁ of pedal body 22 from cleat engagement surface 61 to securecleat 14 therebetween.

Additionally, a connecting portion 65 preferably extends between firstouter attachment point 64 and second outer attachment point 66.Connecting portion 65 preferably includes an outer cleat contact surface65 a facing in substantially the opposite direction of cleat engagementsurface 61, and spaced from cleat engagement surface 61 toward thelongitudinal plane P₁ of pedal body 22 to couple cleat 14 therebetween.

Second outer attachment point 66 preferably includes an angledprotrusion or flange 67 extending inwardly therefrom toward innerlongitudinal side 46. Protrusion 67 insures that cleat 14 is properlycoupled to bicycle pedal 10. More specifically, protrusion 67 insuresthat cleat 14 cannot be engaged backwards (i.e., the front of cleat 14cannot be coupled to rear clamping member 26). Preferably, angledprotrusion 67 includes an angled guide surface 67 a formed at a free endthereof. Angled guide surface 67 a slopes upwardly and outwardlyrelative to longitudinal plane P₁ to aid in guiding cleat 14 todisengage cleat 14 from pedal 10 (i.e. release from rear clamping member26).

Cleat engagement portion 60 has a curved front stop surface 69, which isperpendicularly arranged relative to cleat engagement surface 61. Stopsurface 69 prevents forward movement of cleat 14 relative to pedal body22, when cleat 14 is engaged with one of the front clamping members 24.

As seen in FIGS. 2-5, each clamping member 24 is configured to form anunobstructed longitudinal passageway 68, which allows mud to easily pushtherethrough via cleat 14. Each unobstructed longitudinal passageway 68has a substantially trapezoidal shape as viewed longitudinally along acleat receiving plane CR, as seen in FIG. 5. More specifically, cleatengagement portion 60 is shaped generally as an inverted symmetricalU-shaped member (FIG. 14) with the ends attached to pedal body 22 toform passageway 68. Thus, passageway 68 extends in a longitudinaldirection between each front clamping member 24 and pedal body 22. Inother words, each longitudinal passageway 68 has a height H at leastsubstantially equal to the distance between its respective clampingmember 24 and a plane P₂ that is formed by the contact surfaces 63 a and65 a, as seen in FIG. 5.

More specifically, each longitudinal passageway 68 has an effectiveheight larger than the dimension H because an upper surface ofrespective flanges 41 a, 41 b or 42 a, 42 b of a respective end of pedalbody 22 is offset toward the plane P₁ from the plane P₂. In other words,the upper surfaces of the flanges 41 a, 41 b or 42 a, 42 b (which arearranged below the respective cleat engagement portions 60) lie in aplane P₃ that is closer to the plane P₁ than the plane P₂ to effectivelyincrease the height of the unobstructed longitudinal passageway(s) 68 inthe area below the cleat engagement portion(s) 60. Moreover, opposingclamping member 26 (located on the same end as clamping member 24 and onan opposite side of pedal body 22) is preferably spaced from the uppersurface of respective flanges 41 a, 41 b or 42 a, 42 b of a respectiveend of pedal body 22 to further effectively increase the height of theunobstructed longitudinal passageway 68. In particular, a plane P₄passing through an upper periphery of the opposing clamping member 26 isspaced toward the plane P₁ from the plane P₃ to effectively increase theheight of the unobstructed longitudinal passageway(s) 68 in the areabelow the respective cleat engagement portion(s) 60. Accordingly, eachlongitudinal passageway 68 preferably has an effective height evenlarger than the distance between its respective clamping member 24 andan upper surface of respective flanges 41 a, 41 b or 42 a, 42 b of arespective end of pedal body 22.

The plane P₂ that contains contact surfaces 63 a and 65 a forms anattachment surface of pedal body 22. Preferably, plane P₂ is parallel toplane P₁. Moreover, each longitudinal passageway 68 has a varying widthat least as large as a width W₁ of cleat engagement surface 61 due tothe trapezoidal shape of the unobstructed longitudinal passageway 68, asseen in FIG. 5. More specifically, each longitudinal passageway 68preferably has a minimum width W_(min) at least as large as width W₁ anda maximum width W_(max) equal to at least one third of a maximumtransverse width of clamping member 24, as seen in FIGS. 5 and 14.Moreover, each longitudinal passageway 68 preferably has an effectivemaximum width W_(eff) in the area directly below the cleat engagementportion 60 (e.g. in the area below the plane P₂ that is larger than themaximum width W_(max). Thus, the effective maximum width W_(eff) ispreferably at least one half of the maximum transverse width of clampingmember 24, as seen in FIG. 4. The effective maximum width W_(eff) ofeach longitudinal passageway 68 is preferably measured between innersides of longitudinal side portions 44 and 46 at each end of pedal body22 in the area located between the planes P₃ and P₄.

Referring now to FIGS. 15-18, each clamping member 26 basically includesa cleat engagement portion 70, an adjustment portion 72, a protectingportion or tongue 74 and a pair of flanges 76 and 78 with pivot holes 76a and 78 a, respectively. Clamping member is preferably formed of asubstantially rigid, lightweight material. Cleat engagement portion 70includes a rear cleat engagement surface 71 facing in substantially thesame direction as front cleat engagement surface 61. Preferably, cleatengagement surface 71 is spaced from the longitudinal plane P₁ of pedalbody 22 and faces toward the longitudinal plane P₁ of pedal body 22.Moreover, cleat engagement surface 71 is preferably substantiallyparallel to the longitudinal plane P₁ of pedal body 22. Cleat engagementportion 70 also has a curved rear stop surface 79, which isperpendicularly arranged relative to cleat engagement surface 71. Stopsurface 79 prevents rearward movement of cleat 14 relative to pedal body22, when cleat 14 is engaged with one of the sets of front and rearclamping members 24 and 26.

Adjustment portion 72 of each clamping member 26 preferably includes ahole 72 a and an internal indexing surface 72 b surrounding hole 72 a.Hole 72 a is configured to receive a part of tension adjusting mechanism32, as discussed in more detail below. Indexing surface 72 b preferablyincludes four recesses 72 c circumferentially spaced around hole 72 a.Each recess 72 c includes a pair of angled side walls and an angled endwall. Indexing surface 72 b is configured to engage a mating indexingsurface of tension adjusting mechanism 32, as also discussed below.

Adjustment portion 72 is preferably angled relative to cleat attachmentportion 70. Additionally, protecting portion or tongue 74 is preferablyangled relative to adjustment portion 72 and extends from one endthereof. Flanges 76 and 78 extend from cleat engagement portion 70 andadjustment portion 72 for coupling each clamping member 26 to pedal body22 via pivot pins 28. More specifically, each of the holes 76 a and 78 aof flanges 76 and 78, respectively, are configured to receive a bushing(not shown), which in turn rotatably receives one of the pivot pins 28.Each biasing member 30 is mounted on one of the pivot pins 28 to applyan urging force between pedal body 22 and clamping member 26 to biasclamping member 26 toward a clamping position.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, 26 and 27, each biasing member 30 is preferablyformed by a pair of torsion springs 80 that are mirror images of eachother. Each of the torsion springs 80 basically includes a coiledportion 82, a straight end 84 and a bent end 86. Each straight end 84extends from one end of coiled portion 82 and is arranged to engage aportion of hub body 22 adjacent one of the inner and outer longitudinalsides 44 or 46. Each bent end 86 extends from the other end of coiledportion 82 and is arranged to contact a portion of tension adjustmentmechanism 32 (adjacent longitudinal axis B). More specifically, eachstraight end 84 is designed to engage center tubular portion 40 of pedalbody 22 (adjacent one of the inner and outer longitudinal sides 44 or46), while each bent end 86 is configured to engage an adjustment plateof tension adjustment mechanism 32 (adjacent longitudinal axis B), asdiscussed below. Coiled portions 82 of torsion springs 80 are mounted onone of the pivot pins 28, such that biasing members 30 normally urgeclamping members 26 to rotate about their respective pivot pins 28 fromtheir cleat releasing positions to their cleat engaging or clampingpositions.

Referring now to FIGS. 18-27, tension adjustment mechanism 32 basicallyincludes an adjustment bolt or member 90 and an adjustment nut or plate92 adjustably mounted on adjustment member 90 to adjust tension ofbiasing member 30 on each clamping member 26. Adjustment member 90basically includes a head 94, an enlarged section 96 adjacent head 94, athreaded section 98 extending from enlarged section 96 and an unthreadedsection 100 extending from threaded section 98 to form a free end ofadjustment member 90.

Threaded section 98 is preferably formed with counter-clockwise threadssuch that rotation of adjustment member 90 in the clockwise (orpositive) direction increases the biasing force of biasing member 30.Head 94 is configured to be received in hole 72 a of adjustment portion72 of each clamping member 26 from a biasing member side thereof. Thus,enlarged section 96 is arranged on a biasing member side of clampingmember 26.

Enlarged section 96 includes an indexing or mating surface 96 aconfigured to engage indexing surface 72 b of adjustment portion 72.Specifically, indexing surface 96 a is preferably provided with fourprojections 96 b circumferentially spaced around head 94. Eachprojection includes a pair of angled side walls and an angled end walland is configured to mate with one of the recesses 72 c of clampingmember 26. Indexing surface 96 a is configured to engage mating indexingsurface 72 b to prevent relative rotation therebetween.

The angled surfaces of protrusions 96 b and recesses 72 c act as rampsurfaces such that a sufficient rotational force causes adjustmentmember 90 to rotate relative to clamping member 26. Thus mating surfaces72 b and 96 a prevent accidental adjustment of tension adjustingmechanism 32. Alternatively, adjustment member 90 is moved axiallytoward biasing member 30 (with a hexagonal wrench) and against the forceof torsion springs 80 until mating surfaces 72 b and 96 a are no longerengaged. Then adjustment member 90 can be rotated to adjust the biasingforce of biasing member 30. After the desired biasing force is achieved,adjustment member 90 is released so mating surfaces 72 b and 96 are-engage. Unthreaded section 100 preferably has a slightly smallerdiameter than threaded section 98 such that adjustment plate 92 ismovable thereon. However, due to this configuration of adjustment member90 (with unthreaded section 100 extending from threaded section 98),adjustment plate 92 is retained with adjustment member 90 (on unthreadedsection 100) when adjustment plate 92 is completely disengaged fromthreaded section 98. Head 94 of adjustment member 90 has a hexagonalbore 94 a formed therein such that adjustment member 90 can be rotatedwith a conventional hexagonal wrench.

Adjustment plate 92 includes a threaded hole 92 a formed therein.Threaded hole 92 a is configured such that adjustment plate 92 isthreadedly mounted on threaded section 98 of adjustment member 90.Adjustment plate 92 preferably has a non-circular shape such that a flatwall or abutment surface 92 b is formed. Flat wall 92 b is arrangedadjacent an internal surface of protecting portion or tongue 74 ofclamping member 26, such that adjustment plate 92 will not rotate evenwhen adjustment member 90 is rotated via the hexagonal wrench. Thus,when adjustment plate 92 is threaded mounted on threaded section 98,adjustment member 90 can be rotated such that the position of adjustmentplate 92 can be adjusted relative to torsion springs 80. Morespecifically, adjustment plate 92 is configured to engage bent ends 86of torsion springs 80 such that the tension applied to clamping members26 by torsion springs 80 is adjustable.

Due to the configurations of adjustment member 90 and adjustment plate92, tension adjusting mechanism 32 will not become detached from bicyclepedal 10 even if adjustment member 90 is completely disengaged fromadjustment plate 92, or if adjustment member 90 is rotated such thatadjustment plate 92 contacts enlarged section 96. Therefore, adjustmentmechanism 32 provides an adjustment of the tension of the biasingmembers 30 without risk of separation of the parts of each tensionadjusting mechanism 32.

Referring to FIGS. 28-31, cleat 14 will be discussed in more detail.Bicycle shoe cleat 14 basically includes an attachment portion 102, afirst coupling portion or member 104 extending from one end ofattachment portion 102, and a second coupling portion or member 106extending from the other end of attachment portion 102. Attachmentportion 102 has an upper sole side facing in a first direction forengaging sole 18 of shoe 12 and a lower pedal side facing in a seconddirection which is substantially opposite to the first direction.Preferably, attachment portion 102 and coupling portions 104 and 106 areintegrally formed together as a one-piece, unitary member, which isconstructed from a suitable rigid material. Attachment portion 102 has ahole or slot 108 for receiving one or more fasteners for fixedlycoupling cleat 14 to sole 18 of the cyclist's shoe 12 in a relativelyconventional manner. The interconnection of cleat 14 to sole 18 isrelatively well known in the art, and thus, this interconnection willnot be discussed or illustrated in detail herein. First or frontcoupling portion 104 has a nose portion 110 with a first couplingsurface 111 facing towards sole 18 of shoe 12. First coupling surface111 is located between the upper and lower pedal sides of attachmentportion 102.

Front coupling portion 104 forms a first coupling member that extendsfrom the front end of attachment portion 102. Front coupling portion 104has its nose portion 110 designed to engage cleat engagement portion 60of each clamping member 24. Nose portion 110 also has a curved stopsurface 112 formed thereon, which extends substantially perpendicular tocoupling surface 111. Coupling surface 111 is preferably a substantiallyflat, planar surface which is designed to engage cleat engagementsurface 61 of cleat engagement portion 60 of clamping member 24,discussed above. More specifically, coupling surface 111 is asubstantially flat or planar surface that curves about curved stopsurface 112.

Curved stop surface 112 is designed to engage curved stop surface 69 ofeach clamping member 24 to prevent forward movement of cleat 14 relativeto pedal body 22. Curved stop surfaces 69 and 112 together act as apivot point for releasing cleat 14 from pedal body 22.

Second or rear coupling portion 106 extends from the second end ofattachment portion 102 and has a nose portion 114 with a pair of secondcoupling surfaces 115 facing in substantially the same direction ascoupling surface 111 of first coupling portion 104. Rear couplingsurfaces 115 of rear coupling portion 106 engage rear cleat engagementsurface 71 of rear cleat engagement portion 70 of clamping member 26 tosecure cleat 14 to pedal body 22 via clamping members 24 and 26.

Rear coupling surfaces 115 are preferably substantially flat planarsurfaces. Rear attachment portion 106 also has a curved or angled rampsurface 116 which is designed to engage cleat engagement portion 70 ofclamping member 26 during coupling of cleat 14 to pedal body 22. Inparticular, ramp surface 116 is designed to rotate clamping member 26rearwardly from its normal cleat engaging position to its cleatreleasing position during the downward movement of cleat 14 relative topedal body 22. Rear coupling portion 106 also includes a curved stopsurface 118 for engaging curved stop surface 79 of clamping member 26 toprevent rearward movement of cleat 14 relative to pedal body 22 whencoupled thereto.

In coupling cleat 14 to bicycle pedal 10, the rider steps onto pedalbody 22 which in turn causes one of the clamping members 26 to rotaterearwardly and allow cleat 14 to be coupled to pedal body 22. Tensionadjusting mechanisms 32 can be adjusted to vary the force required forinserting/releasing the shoe cleat 14 from the bicycle pedal 10.

More specifically, when attaching the cyclist's shoe to the bicyclepedal 10 through cleat 14, the cyclist moves the shoe 12 downwardly andforwardly relative to pedal body 22 such that the front end or noseportion 110 of cleat 14 engages cleat engagement portion 60 of one ofclamping members 24. Once the front end of cleat 14 is engaged with oneof the cleat engagement portions 60, the cyclist places the rear end ofcleat 14 in contact with rear cleat engagement portion 70 of one of theclamping members 26. This causes ramp surface 116 to act as a cam, whichengages the cleat engagement portion 70 of one of the rear clampingmembers 26 to cause rotation thereof. In this position, the cyclistpresses the shoe 12 downwardly against pedal 10 to cause one of theclamping members 26 to initially pivot rearwardly against the force ofone of the sets of torsion springs 80 to a cleat releasing position. Therear end of cleat 14 then enters a position opposite of back face of oneof the engagement portions 70 of one of the clamping members 26. Then,clamping member 26 returns under the force of its respective set oftorsion springs 80 so that rear engagement portion 70 of clamping member26 engages the rear end of cleat 14. This engagement fixes the cyclist'sshoe to pedal 10 via cleat 14.

In the cleat engaged position, the front coupling portion 104 of cleat14 prevents front vertical movement while the rear coupling portion 106prevents rear vertical movement. Specifically, cleat engagement surface61 of clamping member 24 contacts first coupling surface 111 while cleatengagement surface 71 of clamping member 26 contacts rear couplingsurface 115 of cleat 14 to fixedly couple rear coupling portion 106 ofcleat 14 to pedal body 22.

When releasing the shoe 12 from pedal 10, the cyclist will typicallyturn shoe 12 about an axis perpendicular or approximately perpendicularto the longitudinal plane of pedal body 22. As a result of this pivotingaction, clamping member 26 is pivoted against the force of torsionsprings 80 to a cleat releasing position to release the shoe 12 frompedal 10.

The terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately”as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modifiedterm such that the end result is not significantly changed. These termsshould be construed as including a deviation of at least ±5% of themodified term if this deviation would not negate the meaning of the wordit modifies.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate thepresent invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis disclosure that various changes and modifications can be madeherein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing description of theembodiments according to the present invention are provided forillustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bicycle pedal comprising: a pedal shaft havinga first end adapted to be coupled to a bicycle crank and a second endwith a center axis extending between said first and second ends; a pedalbody rotatably coupled to said second end of said pedal shaft, saidpedal body having a first end and a second end with inner and outerlongitudinal sides extending between said first and second ends, saidpedal body having a longitudinal plane extending between said first andsecond ends and passing through said center axis; a first clampingmember pivotally coupled to said first end of said pedal body between aclamping position and a release position, said first clamping memberhaving a first cleat engagement surface; a first biasing member coupledbetween said pedal body and said first clamping member; and a secondclamping member fixedly coupled to said second end of said pedal body,said second clamping member having a second cleat engagement surfacearranged between said inner and outer longitudinal sides of said pedalbody and facing said longitudinal plane, said second clamping member andsaid pedal body being configured relative to each other to form anunobstructed longitudinal passageway between said second clamping memberand said pedal body as viewed along a cleat receiving plane that issubstantially parallel to said longitudinal plane of said pedal body,said unobstructed longitudinal passageway being free of any structure ofsaid pedal body and extending completely through said second clampingmember such that mud can be pushed out of said unobstructed longitudinalpassageway from between said second clamping member and said pedal bodyalong said cleat receiving plane, said unobstructed longitudinalpassageway having a width at least as large as a width of said secondcleat engagement surface.
 2. A bicycle pedal according to claim 1,wherein said unobstructed longitudinal passageway has a maximum widththat is at least one-third of a maximum transverse width of said secondclamping member.
 3. A bicycle pedal according to claim 2, wherein saidmaximum width of said unobstructed longitudinal passageway iseffectively increased by an open area thereunder, and said effectivelyincreased maximum width is at least one-half of said maximum transversewidth of said second clamping member.
 4. A bicycle pedal according toclaim 1, wherein said first end of said pedal body is formed by firstinner and outer flanges and said second end of said pedal body is formedby second inner and outer flanges.
 5. A bicycle pedal according to claim4, wherein said second clamping member includes an inner attachmentpoint coupled to said second inner flange and an outer attachment pointcoupled to said second outer flange.
 6. A bicycle pedal according toclaim 5, wherein said second clamping member includes an inner cleatcontact surface adjacent said inner attachment point.
 7. A bicycle pedalaccording to claim 4, wherein said second clamping member includes afirst attachment point coupled to said first outer flange and a secondattachment point coupled to said second outer flange.
 8. A bicycle pedalaccording to claim 1, wherein said second clamping member is fixedlycoupled to said pedal body on opposite sides of said unobstructedlongitudinal passageway with at least two bolts.
 9. A bicycle pedalaccording to claim 8, wherein said second clamping member is fixedlycoupled to said pedal body with at least three bolts such that two ofsaid bolts are located on one side of said unobstructed longitudinalpassageway and the other of said at least three bolts is located on anopposite side of said unobstructed longitudinal passageway.
 10. Abicycle pedal according to claim 1, further comprising a third clampingmember pivotally coupled to said second end of said pedal body, saidthird clamping member having a third cleat engagement surface; a secondbiasing member coupled between said pedal body and said third clampingmember; and a fourth clamping member coupled to said first end of saidpedal body, said fourth clamping member having a fourth cleat engagementsurface arranged between said inner and outer longitudinal sides of saidpedal body and facing said longitudinal plane, said fourth clampingmember being configured to form an additional unobstructed longitudinalpassageway with a width at least as large as a width of said fourthcleat engagement surface.
 11. A bicycle pedal according to claim 1,further comprising an adjustment member arranged between said firstclamping member and said biasing member, said adjustment member having ahead arranged in a hole of said first clamping member, an enlargedsection arranged on a biasing member side of said first clamping memberand an adjustment plate adjustably mounted on said adjustment member toadjust tension of said biasing member on said first clamping member. 12.A bicycle pedal comprising: a pedal shaft having a first end adapted tobe coupled to a bicycle crank and a second end with a center axisextending between said first and second ends; a pedal body rotatablycoupled to said second end of said pedal shaft, said pedal body having afirst end with first inner and outer flanges and a second end withsecond inner and outer flanges to form inner and outer longitudinalsides extending between said first and second ends, said pedal bodyhaving a longitudinal plane extending between said first and second endsand passing through said center axis; a first clamping member pivotallycoupled to said first end of said pedal body between a clamping positionand a release position, said first clamping member having a first cleatengagement surface; a first biasing member coupled between said pedalbody and said first clamping member; and a second clamping memberfixedly coupled to said second end of said pedal body, said secondclamping member having an inner attachment point coupled to said secondinner flange, an outer attachment point coupled to said second outerflange, an additional attachment point coupled to said first outerflange and a second cleat engagement surface arranged between said innerand outer longitudinal sides of said pedal body and facing saidlongitudinal plane, said second clamping member and said pedal bodybeing configured relative to each other to form an unobstructedlongitudinal passageway between said second clamping member and saidpedal body as viewed along a cleat receiving plane that is substantiallyparallel to said longitudinal plane of said pedal body, saidunobstructed longitudinal passageway being free of any structure of saidpedal body and extending completely through said second clamping membersuch that mud can be pushed out of said unobstructed longitudinalpassageway from between said second clamping member and said pedal bodyalong said cleat receiving plane, said unobstructed longitudinalpassageway having a width at least as large as a width of said secondcleat engagement surface.
 13. A bicycle pedal according to claim 12,wherein said second clamping member includes an inwardly extendingangled protrusion arranged adjacent said additional attachment point.14. A bicycle pedal according to claim 13, wherein said angledprotrusion includes an angled guide surface formed at a free end thereofsuch that said angled guide surface slopes upwardly and outwardlyrelative to said longitudinal plane.
 15. A bicycle pedal according toclaim 12, wherein said second clamping member includes an outer cleatcontact surface arranged between said outer attachment point and saidadditional attachment point.
 16. A bicycle pedal according to claim 15,wherein said second clamping member includes an inner cleat contactsurface adjacent said inner attachment point.
 17. A bicycle pedalaccording to claim 1, wherein said unobstructed longitudinal passagewayhas a trapezoid shape.
 18. A bicycle pedal according to claim 12,wherein said unobstructed longitudinal passageway has a trapezoid shape.19. A bicycle pedal comprising: a pedal shaft having a first end adaptedto be coupled to a bicycle crank and a second end with a center axisextending between said first and second ends; a pedal body rotatablycoupled to said second end of said pedal shaft, said pedal body having afirst end and a second end with inner and outer longitudinal sidesextending between said first and second ends, said pedal body having alongitudinal plane extending between said first and second ends andpassing through said center axis; a first clamping member pivotallycoupled to said first end of said pedal body between a clamping positionand a release position, said first clamping member having a first cleatengagement surface; a first biasing member coupled between said pedalbody and said first clamping member; and a second clamping memberfixedly coupled to said second end of said pedal body, said secondclamping member having a second cleat engagement surface arrangedbetween said inner and outer longitudinal sides of said pedal body andfacing said longitudinal plane, said second clamping member and saidpedal body being configured relative to each other to form anunobstructed longitudinal trapezoidal shaped passageway between saidsecond clamping member and said pedal body as viewed along a cleatreceiving plane that is substantially parallel to said longitudinalplane of said pedal body, said unobstructed longitudinal passagewaybeing free of any structure of said pedal body and extending completelythrough said second clamping member.